We miss Maya.
We are absolutely heartbroken with her death. Her book, FLIGHT OF FRIENDSHIP, shares insights and lessons Maya felt were important to every walk of life. If you’d like to contribute to an additional printing of her wonderful book (currently sold out), please click the button above. We love the Smith family and mourn with them. We promise to share Maya’s story—and her book—for as long as the foundation continues its work. Thank you, Smiths, for allowing us to know and love and create something with your amazing warrior princess.
Maya Smith
Extraordinary Circumstance:
Medulloblastoma
Book: Flight of Friendship
WORDS BY DALLAS GRAHAM
DESIGN & ILLUSTRATION BY DALLAS GRAHAM
PHOTOGRAPHY BY DALLAS GRAHAM
EDITING BY JERI LARSEN
Maya Smith was a resilient, courageous and creative 13-year-old that lives just outside of Richmond, VA. At age 11, Maya was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a childhood brain tumor. In January of 2017, Maya started complaining of headaches that started as a few a week to almost every day. As months went on, the headaches were accompanied by nausea, vomiting, low energy, and then vision difficulties. After numerous doctor visits, an optometrist finally found the problem. It was that trip to the doctor that showed fluid behind her eyes. She was advised to go to the emergency room immediately. After an MRI, a tumor was discovered on her brain, and she had brain surgery to remove the tumor 3 days later. Prior to her diagnosis, Maya was very busy due to her many interests and activities. She was involved in many areas of dance, including ballet, lyrical, tap, pointe, jazz, and hip hop, along with basketball, volley ball, and making crafts. Although this journey was unexpected and difficult at times, Maya’s resilience has afforded her many opportunities to bring awareness to childhood cancer by being featured in photos, videos, and magazines. As the spokesperson for Anthem LemonAid Stand, which raises money for Children’s Hospitals, she was afforded the opportunity to appear on TV, participate in radio interviews, and star in a commercial. Her contagious smile and beautiful personality made it hard for people to forget her upon meeting her.
Read her story.
learn about
Medulloblastoma
Medulloblastoma is a cancerous tumor, which usually affects people under the age of 16. It generally starts out in a region of the brain called the posterior fossa, but can spread to other areas of the brain and spinal cord. Each year, about 250-500 kids in the US are diagnosed with medulloblastoma, making it the most common type of harmful brain tumor in children.
Medulloblastoma causes symptoms including headaches, nausea, clumsiness, handwriting problems, and sometimes visual problems. If it spreads to the spinal cord, it can also cause difficulty walking, back pain, and trouble controlling bathroom functions.
Surgery followed by radiation therapy is usually the primary treatment route for medulloblastoma, however chemotherapy may also be used. If the tumor doesn’t spread, about 70-80% of patients will survive. If it does spread to the spinal cord, the survival rate decreases to 60%. Expected outcomes also vary based on the subtype of medulloblastoma and the age of the patient. Patients below the age of three face an uphill battle against the disease and have lower survival rates.
Learn more about medulloblastoma at these great sources:
The Brain Tumour Charity: www.thebraintumourcharity.org
St Jude Children’s Research Hospital: www.stjude.org/disease/medulloblastoma.html
RED FRED PROJECT WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR FRIENDS AT PATIENT WORTHY FOR THEIR RESEARCH AND PARTICIPATION IN SHARING THIS VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING THIS EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCE. YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT THEIR WORK AT PATIENTWORTHY.COM.